Composite structural member and building unit



4 5 2, R w m 1 N UJ 2 m Nr w K F. Y B W 6 G. F KOTRBATY E STRUCTURAL MEMBER AND BUILDING UNIT Original Filed Oct. 1, 1935 COMPOSIT Aug. 15, 1939.

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMPOSITE STRUCTURAL IHEMBER AND BUILDING UNIT poration of Delaware Original application October 1, 1935, Serial No.

43,017. Divided and this application October 4, 1937, Serial No. 167,246

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in building construction systems and elements therefor.

This application is a division of my applica tion Ser. No. 43,017, filed Oct. 1, 1935, for Composite building construction units and supporting members, allowed Jan. 21, 1937, and issuing as Patent No. 2,094,607, on Oct. 5, 1937.

The improvements of the present invention relate to modified structural supporting and keying members and self-supporting structural wall members of the type described generally in my Patent No. 1,968,045 of July 31, 1934, and Patent No. 1,965,601, of July 10, 1934, and cognate patents and applications, Patent No. 2,017,441, of Oct. 15, 1935 Patent No. 1,987,115, of January 8, 1935; Patent No. 1,995,477, of March 26, 1935; Patent No. 1,993,791, of March 12, 1935, and application Ser. No. 29,820, allowed April 30, 1937.

The present invention relates more particularly to composite structural stud members for use with structural self-supporting building units, and including abutted channel elements with pleated locking flanges in juxtaposition and joined by keying members, and including nailreceiving elements disposed in the pleats of the juxtaposed units.

In addition, the novel improvements of the present invention include provision for the utilization of preformed panelling of various types, with or without the use of associated structural hardenable plastic materials bonded and applied to supporting panel members.

It is another feature of this invention to provide improved structural elements, including stud members adapted to receive structural keying members and form composite supporting members therewith.

Other features of novelty of the present invention include self-supporting building construction units adapted to be associated with other like units and separate members to form composite building supporting members provided with panel-receiving means for securing panellings or surfacings to the walls thereof.

These and other desirable features will be described in the accompanying specification and illustrated in the drawing, certain preferred forms being shown by way of illustration only, for, since the underlying features may be incorporated in other specific structures and assemblies, it is not intended to be limited to the ones here shown, except as such limitations are clearly imposed by the appended claims.

In the drawing like numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views, of which Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a composite stud connection for wall units, including nail-receiving and holding members in the channels of the stud elements and showing fragmentary surfacings in phantom;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail, in perspective, of the key member of Fig. 1.

In the particular description of the improvements herein, reference is made to self-supporting building units, I00, which are keyed and locked together by the novel key members 35011. The structural units I00 comprise spaced panels, H0, spaced apart and secured to stud elements or sections, 300. The elements 300 comprise channel-shaped members having sides 30| terminating in accordion-pleated or roll spring edges 302 disposed inwardly of the edges or sides 30L The convolutions thus formed define auxiliary channels 303 whose function will be adverted to more in detail hereinafter. The spring sections or flutes 302 terminate, in their turn, in looking flanges or lips 304 which are adapted to be engaged by locking channels 358 of the key members 350a. The panel members H0 of the building units I00 may be secured to the end stud members as by means of welding, rivets, bolts and nuts, and by any other suitable means, all as indicated generally at 305. The so-formed build ing units are structurally stable and can be assembled readily to form walls and other structural systems, which are adapted to be permanently in place by the novel keying means herein. The panels may be made of any suitable structural material, including ribbed lath, as shown, as well as including panelings of various materials comprising wood and wood base materials, asbestos, cement, and their products, artificial resins and plastics, in sheet form, sheet metals, and hardenable plastics.

Considering the novel key structures more in detail, it is to be noted that they comprise opposed channel members 35! having lateral inturned flanges 352 with reinforcing lips or edges 353. The central or body portion of these key members 350 are fluted or convoluted, as indicated at 354 and 355. The parts or halves of the key member may be secured together, as by welding or riveting, as indicated at 355. When abutted building units I00 are locked together by improved key members of the type of member 350a, the channels 358 formed in the sides of the keys receive the locking flanges 304 of the stud elements 300.

The auxiliary keying channels 303 of the stud elements 300 are provided with metal or wooden fillers or inserts 310. These members serve to receive and hold nails or other driven members 311 which may be driven through boards or plaster or lath 312, and hold the latter firmly in place. These structural features permit the application of a variety of finishes to walls, floors, roofs and other exposed building surfacings or areas, when made with the improve self-sup porting construction units and composite nailreceiving structural members of the present invention.

It will be appreciated now that there has been provided an improved building construction and elements thereof, including novel composite stud and support members having means incorporated therein to receive nails and other driven securing means for holding wall surfacings thereon and thereover. In addition there have been provided novel mechanical means for keying and joining wall members together in a mechanically tight joint and in a simple and eflicient manner, and in which various parts are adapted to be abutted and quickly and permanently secured. The improvements of the present invention also include an improved method for assembling novel structural parts of the building features hereinabove described.

The various features and combinations of structural parts have been shown herein by way of illustration only, and it is intended to claim all parts as broadly novel, particularly in their new combinations, insofar as the state of the art will allow.

What is claimed is:

1. A wall construction formed of self-supporting building units, each unit having spaced panels secured to and spaced by channel members formed with locking pleated sections terminating in locking flanges and forming auxiliary keyways, key members between abutted units and holding contacting locking flanges thereof in locked relation, nail-receiving and gripping members in said auxiliary keyways, nailable surfacings over the units, said surfacings being secured to and on the said units by nails driven therethrough and into the nail-receiving and gripping members disposed in the auxiliary keyways.

2. A composite structural member comprising a pair of abutted channel members having inturned spring gripping flanges in juxtaposition, the spring gripping flanges including sections forming auxiliary keyways, nail-receiving and locking means disposed in and retained in the auxiliary keyways, and keying members between the channel members, the keying members spacing the channel members and including keying channels engaging the spring gripping flanges.

GUY F. KOTRBATY. 

